Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-28
THURSDAY. APRIL 90, 1887
Cool.

The New York Tribune has the eff
irontery to speak of the Interstate COM
merce act as Democratic measure.
We quote part of its article on that
subject:
"Put this [protection] is not the
only issue which is likely TO contribute
to Democratic defeat. The Interstate
commerce bill was urged for years by
Democratic congressman who has been
rewarded by election to the Senate
from Texas, and il was supported for
years mainly by Democratic members.
A Democratic President signed it, with
all its imperfections, and has selected a
commission under which its workings
are now being tried. The results thus
far are not popular. II is safe to say
that they would not help the party now
In power, if an election were held to-
day, in any State of the Union. but
least OF all in the more sparsely settled
southern States. A dispatch to a COM
mercial agency from Memphis few
days ago observed that the enormous
advance in the rates TO and from coun-
try towns in that section had caused
manufacturing establishments gen.
orally to close, because they could
not ship except at loss. Similar
results are natural wherever business
has been developed, as it has been
throughout the South, by especial rates
fayoring new enterprises. The law had
for its chief object the prohibiting ofsuch
special rates. II it is strictly enforced,
it will work serious harm and produce
a strong popular opposition to it. But
il is deprived of efficiency by the
Presidents appointees friends of the
law will charge all evil consequences to
the Administration, and not to the act
itself"
The president of the railroad COM
mission is a Republican, as is also
another of its members. In the Senate
the bill was champioHed by Republic
can senator, CULLoM, of Illinois, who
has perfect right to claim that he
more than any other one man is emit
tied to whatever credit or discredit
may properly attach to the passage OF
the bill.
On the l4th January last, onmotion of
Mr.. CUILoM, the Senate proceeded to
tine consideration of the conference re-
port on the interstate commerce bill.
The discussion was kept up for several
hours. Finally the report was adopted
by vote of AZ to Is. The following
Republicans voted "Aye": Messrs.
AfLIsoN, CoSGER, CULLoM, DoLPH,
MITCHELL, EDMUSDs, FRYE, HALE,
HAwIEY, INGALLS,, JONES of Nevada,
McMuLAN, NASDEBsoE, PALMER,
PLUMB, SABIS, SAwTEB, SHERMAN, SPoo-
MIR, TELLER, and WILSON of Iowa.
Twenty-one Republicans to twenty-five
Democrats and in the list Of Repub-
lcsrs are both the senators from Mr..
BIArNE's own State (Messrs. HALE and
FRYE) JOHN SHERMAN, EDMUNDs, HAw-
LEY, CULLoM, INGALLS,, &c, &c.
Does the Tribune mean to make war
upon SHERMAN as friend Of the inter
State commerce bill Hardly for
Mr.. BLAISE's own senators, as above
stated, voted for the bill.
But the law itself has not yet been
abandoned by its friends in either
party. II viii be thoroughly over
hauled, no doubt, at the next session
of Congress, and amended in many
particulars. We doubt that it can be
made acceptable TO either the public or
the railroad companies At the same
time the facts We have cited show conclu-
sively that the leading BLAINE organ has
noreason whatever for affirming that the
interstate commerce bill sis likely to
contribute to Democratic defeat, " either
next year, as that organ predicts, or
any other year.